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Salt Lake Comic Con the sequel: The Wrath of Con

Cosplay contests, a film festival, sci-fi speed dating, game tournaments and panels ranging from how to create great plots for fiction to Disney sidekicks are enough to entice some Southern Utahns to pack up for the weekend and make the four hour drive up north.

Celebrities and fans alike are flocking to what has become the third-largest convention of its kind in the United States, and Salt Lake Comic Con is in now full swing for its third event in two years.

Last year’s sold out event still holds the title as the largest first year comic convention in North America. This weekend’s convention appears to be following the trend; all V.I.P. passes have already sold out. The lingering question is, will Dan Farr Productions be able to top Salt Lake Comic Con 2013 and Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience?

Comic book demigod Stan Lee is returning to Salt Lake City for the event, so the convention is poised to at least match its prior successes. The list of celebrities attending is extensive; some are returning, and some are attending the Utah event for the first time.

Cosplay contests, a film festival, sci-fi speed dating, game tournaments and panels ranging from how to create great plots for fiction to Disney sidekicks are enough to entice some Southern Utahns to pack up for the weekend and make the four hour drive up north.

St. George resident Samantha Hodge will be attending Salt Lake Comic Con for the first time, and she’s “expecting it to be awesome.”

“I’m as excited as a kid in a candy shop,” she said.

Salt Lake City’s event isn’t the first comic convention she’s been to. Although the event she’d been to previously was in a far more boisterous location than northern Utah, Hodge said it was a bit more quaint that SLCC promises to be.

“I went to the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con this past June,” she said. “It was small but full of great booths and awesome people.”

Christian Navarrete, his wife Brianne and their children are also making the trek from St. George. This isn’t Christian’s first rodeo; he has been to at least three other comic conventions.

“There is always something new and different at every convention,” he said. “I’ve noticed the amount of people attending has grown exponentially, since comics have become extremely popular and mainstream. ... The only thing that remains the same is how much fun the people are having at these events.”

He said the exhibits and products offered at the conventions are “more and more impressive” with each event.

He was impressed with the 3-D printers at the FanXperience, and he got to watch artist Todd McFarlane create a piece of art for a fan at the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con in June.

“I still get chills just thinking about it,” Christian said.

The Navarretes were hoping to meet Christopher Lloyd, who was originally slated to attend this year’s comic con but didn’t end up on the final list, but Christian said he and his family are still eager for some of the other celebrities.

“On the bright side, it would be an honor to at least shake hands with the ever-talented Stan Lee,” he said. “And I’m sure my wife is more than a little thrilled to meet the cast of the ‘Arrow’ television show. Talk about a great looking bunch of cast members.”

You’ll be seeing the Navarretes decked out as characters from the DC Universe, specifically “Batman” characters, on Brianne’s suggestion.

“She will be donning a very sexy Harley Quinn costume while my two boys will be dressing up as the Robin (Damian Wayne) and Two-Face,” Christian said. “Yours truly will be dressing up for the first time ever as the Joker since my wife is more than eager to get some makeup on me.”

“Plus,” he added, “(Who) in their right mind doesn’t want to emulate the Clown Prince of Crime? It’s a dream come true. I’ve even practiced my laugh in the mirror one or two dozen times.”

Check back next week for highlights of Salt Lake Comic Con, and in the meantime, Tweet photos of your con experience with the hashtag #IsMyGeekShowing. We’ll retweet the best photos, and the best costume will win tickets to a night at the movies with fans of Is My Geek Showing? The movie is to be determined. Contact Matthew at the information below for further details.

Do you have a suggestion for Matthew to geek out on? Email him at mjacobson@thespectrum.com, follow him on Twitter @SpectrumMatthew, and like him on Facebook.com/MatthewJacobsonGeek.